Riot grrrl headliners CSS dominate a female frontwoman showcase at The Independent

Photos by James Nagel // Written by Molly Kish //

CSS with MS MR, Io Echo //
The Independent – San Francisco
June 16th, 2013 //

Cansei de Ser Sexy, better known as CSS, brought their Brazilian bravado to The Independent on Sunday. Currently touring to promote their new record Planta (read our review here) in the States, they headlined an impressive bill of up and coming talent on the first stop of their two-night run in the City. Accompanied by indie rock buzz bands IO Echo and MS MR, CSS rocked a sold out venue filled with a mixed-bag fan base representing of all three of the groups.

The featured acts did their job well, turning heads and warming up the crowd for the healdiner. Each act effortlessly commanding the crowd with their individual stage presence and lead vocals to back it up. IO Echo and MS MR provided a perfect example of what the riot grrrl persona, crafted by bands such as CSS, has evolved into with this new and upcoming generation of artists. CSS rounded out the night with a pop-punk dance party filled with hits from their entire catalogue, including brand new singles and a few obscure rarities.

Starting the night off with a raucous rendition of “Art Bitch”, the girls came out ready to shake things up a bit. Known for their boisterous live shows and party girl personas, the ladies weren’t skimping on dramatic flair this evening and wanted to kick things off in riotous fashion. The ladies kicked it into a dance party groove with the reggaeton single off Planta entitled “Hangover”, followed by favorites “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above” and “Move”. Luísa Hanaê Matsushita commanded attention from the crowd with her sex kitten purrs and eccentric dance moves. Using various props throughout the evening, including embellished fans and golden floor-length, wing-like appendages, Matsushita entranced the audience with her flowing, Rapunzel-esque mane and relentless showmanship.

About midway through the set, the evening reached a climactic point when various members disrobed down to their sports bras and spandex during “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex”, remaining in the stripped down attire for the rest of the evening. It was getting late, but the girls still had some party left and obviously weren’t ready to call it a night just yet. After CSS exited the stage, the crowd prompted their return with the a group chant of “CSS Suxxx”. Upon return, the group offered rousing renditions of “Alala” and the 2012 party anthem single “I’ve Seen You Drunk Gurl”. Matsushita stage-dove into the crowd without missing a beat while rapping and being lifted above the heads of her adoring, dancing frenzy of fans. When returning to the stage, she gushed about her love for the city of SF and its local music scene, ending the evening on a high note.

Setlist:
Art Bitch
Move
Hangover
Hits Me Like a Rock
Teenage Tiger
Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above
Girlfriend
City Grrrl
Honey
Red Alert
I Love You
Music Is My Hot Hot Sex
Dynamite

Encore:
Frankie Goes to North Hollywood
Alala
I’ve Seen You Drunk Gurl